Now THAT was Talladega. Ashley and I hosted our RaceAway guests at Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Alabama, for the YellaWood 500 on Sunday, October 25, 2026, and we could not have asked for a more memorable finish. Anyone considering Talladega Superspeedway NASCAR packages hopes to see close racing and a little unpredictability, and this one delivered both right down to the checkered flag.
Familiar Faces at Our Talladega Hotel
Our weekend started at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Birmingham–Hoover, a hotel RaceAway has used for Talladega trips for several years. For our October 2026 weekend, the package included two nights at the hotel, with two-room suites and cooked-to-order breakfast each morning.
Ashley and I had a fantastic group to host, and one thing stood out right away: About one fourth of our guests had traveled with RaceAway before.
That included Terry V., who joined us for his 16th RaceAway trip! Bryan L. and his crew were also back, making this an unbelievable 13 Talladega trips with us!
Those numbers are pretty remarkable when you stop and think about them. After that many weekends together, you recognize people as soon as they come through the hotel lobby. You remember previous races, previous trips and plenty of stories along the way. As hosts, Ashley and I really enjoy having that mix of longtime RaceAway travelers and guests experiencing a race weekend with us for the first time.
We make a good hosting team, too. I tend to be pretty straightforward about making sure the details are covered, and Ashley brings an easy Southern warmth to the group. By race morning, everybody knew where they needed to be and was ready to head for Talladega.
Race Day at Talladega
For the October 2026 YellaWood 500 package, RaceAway provided hosted round-trip motorcoach transportation from the Embassy Suites to Talladega Superspeedway. Ashley and I traveled with the group, which meant our guests could leave the race-day driving and parking to us and concentrate on the reason they came to Alabama in the first place.
Our guests had reserved seats in the Upper Birmingham Tower near the start/finish line. From that elevated location, they could see pit road and follow the action around Talladega’s 2.66-mile tri-oval — an especially good view at a track where drafting lines can change so quickly.
And did they ever change on Sunday.
There were tight drafting packs, major wrecks and plenty of moments when it looked like the race might be headed in one direction before everything changed again.
Then came the final lap of overtime.
Kyle Larson had fallen to 11th, but in the final two turns he came charging back through the field. He passed seven cars in the final quarter-mile as the leaders raced toward the line four-wide, beating William Byron by just 0.041 seconds. It was the kind of Talladega finish where you almost need a minute afterward to sort out everything you just watched.
From where our group was sitting, they had quite a show.
Highlights from Our 2026 Talladega Weekend
- Kyle Larson going from 11th to first on the final lap of overtime and winning by 0.041 seconds.
- A four-wide charge toward the checkered flag after an afternoon of tight drafting and big crashes.
- About 25% of our group returning after traveling with RaceAway previously.
- Terry V. celebrating his 16th trip with us.
- Bryan L. and his crew returning for their 13th RaceAway Talladega weekend.
- A two-night Birmingham-area hotel stay and hosted race-day transportation to and from Talladega Superspeedway.
One note we received afterward from Shawn C. captured the weekend especially well:
“What a weekend at Talladega! The racing was incredible, and that finish was something we’ll be talking about for a long time. RaceAway made the whole weekend easy, from the hotel and transportation to getting us to the track and back. It was great being able to relax and just enjoy the race. We’re already planning our next race weekend!”
For Ashley and me, that’s what we want at the end of a RaceAway weekend. The racing should be what our guests remember. Our job is to take care of the hotel, transportation and race-day details so they can enjoy being there.
This Talladega weekend gave us plenty to remember — especially that last lap — but seeing so many returning guests made it memorable for us as hosts, too. If you’d like to experience Talladega with RaceAway, take a look at our current Talladega NASCAR packages, or explore our other NASCAR travel packages and find the race weekend that’s right for you.